Home for Christmas
by Marte
Summary: Kurt and Rachel are living in New York, but returns to Lima for the holidays. They are both single, but maybe this christmas will bring love back into their lives... Klaine and Puckleberry
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. But I proudly own all my own takes on the characters.

This is set a few years into the future, and is a Klaine and Puckleberry story. Although Christmas is over now, I hope you are still holiday spirit, and ready for some Christmas love!

* * *

><p><em>Maybe there'll be an open door<br>Maybe the star that shined before  
>Will shine once more, ohhh <em>

Kurt hurried around his apartment, haphazardly throwing clothes in his suitcase, the bag filled with Christmas gifts already waiting in the hallway. Normally he would have been ready and waiting downstairs well in advance, but he had run late at work today, the actors having a hard time concentrating in rehearsals this last day before the holidays. As he got ready he hummed along to Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe this Christmas" - one of the finest seasonal songs he knew, and a reminder that even though you don't believe in God and Jesus, you can enjoy the holiday and spend it surrounded by people you love.

His phone beeped and Rachel's name flashed across the screen to inform him that the cab was right around the corner.

_And maybe this Christmas will find us at last  
>In heaven, at peace<br>Prayed for at least  
>For the love we've been shown in the past.<em>

He heard the song winding down as he turned the radio off and left. Maybe this Christmas... No, he wasn't going there. It wasn't in the cards for him. He had his career and was happy with his life. After a few years in New York, struggling to get roles, he took his dad's advice and began writing his own stuff. His first play had received great reviews, and his second play was set to premiere in the middle of January. He had a small, but tight group of friends, among them Rachel, and he loved the city with all his heart. When the holidays came up, it was always nice to go back home though, and he was happy to know that he got to stay in Lima for ten whole days this time.

Rachel was her normal happy bundle of joy as Kurt joined her in the car, obviously filled with Christmas Spirit.

"Oh, Kurt. I just got off the phone with daddy, and it's snowing in Lima. This is going to be perfect!"

As much as Kurt was looking forward to going home, he would have thought that Rachel would be a little more apprehensive.

"Rachel, are you sure? Are you going to be okay? It must be hard for you to see Finn and Quinn happily living together..." Kurt carefully watched his best friend as he once again asked the question he had been pondering since he first heard his step brother had gotten back together with the blonde.

"Of course I'm going to be okay, Kurt. If you remember, I knew from the first time I set foot in this city that Finn wasn't my true love. Music and Broadway is my true love, and my other love, whoever he may be and wherever I may find him, will have to deal with that. Besides -" she cast a sideways glance at the boy, - no; the man, next to her, " - no matter what I may have thought in high school, Finn and I were never meant to be. Not like you and..." Before she could utter the name, Kurt's expression stopped her. She silently pleaded with him to finally go there. To finally talk to her about him. But as always, Kurt closed himself up. The rest of the ride to the airport was spent in silence, as Kurt stared out the window, refusing to let the tears fall, but failing as Rachel reached over to squeeze his hand.

Hours later, the pair stomped their feet free of snow before ringing the bell of the Hudson-Hummel house, - actually the Fabray-Hudson house now. Kurt still found it a bit weird, but it made sense that Finn and Quinn lived there since Burt and Carol spent most of the year in Washington because of Burt's political career. It was the night before Christmas Eve, and Finn and Quinn had invited the old gang to a Christmas Party.

"Hi. Come on in. Kurt, I've told you you don't have to ring the bell. It's still your house too," Finn said as he pulled his step brother in for a bear-hug. He hugged Rachel hello too, before ushering them inside. Kurt was watching them, and realized that he had worried for nothing. Finn and Rachel were perfectly happy with the situation.

The living room was in a frenzy. Puck was busy pouring champagne, and when Tina had declined, announcing that Mike and she were pregnant, everyone started talking at once and moving in to congratulate the couple. This was the scene the three walked in to, and although Kurt was thrilled to be home and back with his friends, it also meant that the old pang of loneliness would reappear along with the memories. The happy couples and being in familiar territory made his heart ache with longing for love. Longing for _him_...

Quinn had redecorated the house, but Kurt still remembered how Blaine and he had cuddled by the fireplace this time five years ago. He found himself standing by the entrance as the rest of the group began moving into the dining room. Then Brittany noticed one of her most favorite dolphins and pulled Santana with her to greet the newcomers, and Kurt didn't have time for more reminiscing.

Throughout dinner they caught up with everyone's lives. They made a point of staying in touch, but talking face to face was something totally different.

Quinn had been right years ago in that auditorium; she was a real estate agent, and Finn was in charge of Burt's shop, as he was otherwise occupied.

Brittany and Santana had moved back to Lima after college, Brittany working as a dance instructor and Santana having opened up her own psychiatric practice.

Tina worked as a costume designer in Hollywood, and shared the story of how Artie had yelled at the entire staff for letting the leading actress' dog chew on his favorite pair of shoes on the set of the latest movie they had worked on together, a movie Artie was busy finishing right now. Rachel, in true Berry-style, went on and on and on about Kurt's and her lives in NY, which suited Kurt just fine, as he was in no mood to talk. He wanted to ask Tina and Mike if they ever saw Blaine, but he didn't dare bring him up.

As a matter of fact, all around the room, Blaine Anderson's name hung like a great big elephant. Those who knew something didn't dare bring it up, and those who wondered didn't dare ask.

The most interesting story around the table was perhaps that of Mike and Puck. Mike had a master's degree in sociology, whereas Puck had pursued a career as a music teacher. Just last year they had founded an organization that helped underprivileged children find purpose through the arts. They held music and dance classes, and the organization had been so successful that they had to hire help to teach most of the classes, and they ended up doing more of the administrative work themselves. There were even rumors now that they would soon announce a celebrity honorary president. But neither of them let anything slip.

As the story was told, Kurt noticed some looks passing between Puck and Rachel which made him smile. He had always felt that those two would do each other good; Puck managing to pull Rachel down from her high horse from time to time (and Kurt would be the first to say that even though she was a brilliant singer, and the New York competitive scene had made her slightly more humble, she needed to be pulled down from that gigantic horse sometimes) and Rachel instilling this sense of purpose in Puck, although right now he seemed to have found that purpose on his own.

"Okay people, we have to hurry up if we're going to make it in time," Mike suddenly said as they were finishing dessert. "You will be the first people to know who our honorary president is. The cabs will be here in ten minutes to pick us up."

Then everyone began talking at once; all questions, no answers. The hall was buzzing with chatter as they wrapped themselves in scarves and gloves and warm winter jackets, no one but Puck and Mike having any clue as to where they were going.

When they began piling into the two cars waiting, Rachel held Puck back. Touching his arm and looking up at him with her big eyes, she said; "I'm proud of you, Noah." Simple as that. They both knew that she had always believed in him, and oh God, how he loved hearing his given name coming from her lips. It had always made him feel like a man. Smiling softly, he bent down to kiss her cheek before taking her hand and running with her to the car.

**-.-**

**Peppermint Lounge.** That's what the large sign said. It was a rather new establishment that Kurt and Rachel had never heard about, but Brittany clapped her hands in glee, claiming that this was the hippest place in town right now.

It was the poster next to the door that made Kurt freeze and begin backing away.

_Peppermint Lounge proudly presents __  
>for one night only<br>__  
>"The snowflakes start falling"<br>__Blaine Anderson_

-.-

To be continued...

-.-


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee or these characters.

In this chapter, I have Blaine singing "Home for Christmas" by Norwegian singer/songwriter Maria Mena. You can listen to it on youtube: /watch?v=64fc1bv9jLQ&feature=related The song was featured in the 2010 Norwegian movie with the same name. I changed the very last line from "Let me go home this year" - feeling the new line made the point of Blaine's concious decision clearer.

* * *

><p><em>Peppermint Lounge proudly presents<em>  
><em>for one night only,<em>

_"The snowflakes start falling"_  
><em>Blaine Anderson<em>

-.-

"Ow!" Kurt backed right into Rachel, who was coming up behind him.

"Oh..." She'd seen it too. Holding on to Kurt's arm to prevent him from fleeing, she turned questioning eyes to Puck.

"Uhm... yeah... so Blaine is our honorary president. And he was coming home this Christmas and wanted to do a concert, so Mike and I figured it would be a cool way of announcing it." Puck didn't quite meet Kurt's eyes, sensing that he was shooting daggers at him as he spoke. "Come on, Kurt. It's been what... almost five years now? He's our friend too, you know. We all love him. You can't expect us to quit hanging with him. Please just come inside with us. You can stay in the back where he won't see you."

Rachel felt Kurt relax and they could see him wavering.

If Kurt was being honest with himself, he was dying to see Blaine again. He hadn't laid eyes on him in four years, ten months and six days, and he missed him. He missed his voice. He missed his smile. He missed his warmth. He was quite certain, however, that entering that lounge would cause the walls he had built around his heart to crumble. Still, he felt himself being pulled forward by an unseen force, and before he knew it, he was inside.

He did stop right inside, and made a point of staying close to the entrance. When they got there, Blaine was already on stage, surrounded by spotlight, his presence radiating all through the room like always. Kurt could do nothing but stare. He stood there, rooted to the floor for the next hour or so, as Blaine sung song after song, with funny and cute little anecdotes in between. He had brought along his backing band, and the concert was also featuring Alana Harris, one of the girls Mike and Puck had helped through their foundation.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for being here. As some of you may already know, I am proud to announce that I will be fronting the A New Direction Foundation; an organization with roots right here in Lima. This town will always hold a special place in my heart, and I am thrilled to be back home for Christmas this year. You know how sometimes a song pops up that just fits your life or your feelings completely? I wish I had written this song myself, but since I didn't I'm just happy I discovered it a few weeks ago. By Norwegian singer/songwriter Maria Mena, I give you 'Home for Christmas'."

_Careful what you say,  
><em>_this time of year tends to weaken me.  
><em>_And have a little decency and let me cry in peace.  
><em>_But there's a place where I erase the challenges I've been through,  
><em>_where I know every corner, every street name all by heart._

Blaine was by the piano, singing the song in a mellow and soft voice. Kurt was mesmerized and found himself taking a couple of steps forward, his gaze locked on the dark-haired man on stage.

Rachel leant back into Puck and felt the lyrics to her bones. She meant what she said to to Kurt about music and Broadway being her true love. However, this time of year, she often found herself shedding silent tears of loneliness.

Blaine poured out his feelings singing this song. He remembered back to the day he had heard it for the first time. He had been back home in his house in LA, getting ready for a recording session. As always when Christmas was around the corner, he felt a throbbing heartache. He had remembered the last Christmas he had been happy, five years ago, back home in Lima. He had closed his eyes as the girl's tender voice drifted from the speakers, seeing him and Kurt cuddling by the fireplace, utterly blissful.

_And so it is a part of my courageous plan to leave,  
><em>_with a broken heart tucked away under my sleeve.  
><em>_  
><em>_I wanna go home for Christmas,__  
><em>_let me go home this year.  
><em>_I wanna go home for Christmas,  
><em>_let me go home this year. _

_I'll pack my bags and leave before the sun rises tomorrow,  
><em>_'cause we act more like strangers for each day that I am here.  
><em>_But I have people close to me who never will desert me,  
><em>_who remind me frequently what I was like as a child. _

He had tried to move on. He was one of those people who needed to love and needed to be loved. He had met Andrew at a party at Mike and Tina's a couple of years ago, and they had instantly connected. Andrew was a screen writer and they were both busy and didn't see each other all that much. He had thought himself in love. Yet, as it turned out, when Blaine Anderson gave his heart away, he did it completely, and it became apparent that his heart still belonged to the first person he had truly given it to.

Fame wasn't all it was cut out to be. Yes, his face was on all the magazine covers and his name was on everyone's lips, but that did not equalize happiness. He was grateful that Mike and Tina and Artie had stayed friends with him after the breakup. They were the ones who kept him grounded, who assured him that he was not alone and who reminded him where he came from.

He hadn't been back home for Christmas since that year. He had been scared he'd meet Kurt at the grocery store or at the Lima Bean. Or even just see him walking along the street, causing him to run into a tree. More than that, he had been scared of the memories. Scared of remembering how happy he had been. How happy _they _had been.

But then, one day he had realized that he wanted to go home. It took a lot of courage. Especially since he knew that Kurt would be back in Lima for the holidays too. Kurt had left him brokenhearted. Had pushed him away. As he picked up his bag and boarded the plane at LAX, he felt as if it was loaded with his still shattered heart.

_And so it is a part of my courageous plan to leave,  
><em>_with a broken heart tucked away under my sleeve._

_I wanna go home for Christmas,  
><em>_let me go home this year.  
><em>_I wanna go home for Christmas,  
><em>_let me go home this year. _

Kurt and Blaine had been together for four years. It had been challenging at times, especially the year after Kurt graduated and went to New York. But then Blaine had moved there as soon as he finished high school. They shared a flat with Rachel, who went to NYADA with Kurt. Blaine attended Julliard, majoring in piano and voice, and everything seemed perfect. Everything really _was_ perfect.

Blaine had only been in New York a few months when Artie called with a job offer. He was casting a young guy to sing and play in a restaurant scene in the movie he was interning at, and had thought of Blaine. When the movie was released the following fall, Blaine's life turned up-side-down. He got more and more job offers, mostly based in LA. His winning persona made him an instant hit in tinsel town, where genuinely nice people were few and far between.

The traveling was draining, and when Blaine got offered a job as a regular bar singer in a hit TV series, it made sense to move to the west coast. It was a difficult decision for the two boys, but it was an opportunity Kurt wasn't going to let Blaine pass on.

Christmas five years ago was the last days they spent together before the move, as Blaine was set to go straight to LA after the holidays.

Verizon should probably have given them a plaque, considering how high their phone bills were the first few weeks. Phone calls. Skype. Phone calls. Texting. Phone calls. Love letters. Phone calls. It wasn't enough. When Blaine came to visit for Valentine's, Kurt could see that he was miserable. Blaine enjoyed his work and the opportunities given to him to no end, but he hated what it did to their relationship. Kurt could feel it. He could sense that Blaine was considering moving back. But that would probably lead to resentment, Kurt thought. He had asked Blaine to change his life before, to make his own magical. But that was high school. This was _life._ He wasn't going to let _his_ life dictate Blaine's now.

So a couple of weeks later, Blaine got the phone call that ended it. Kurt told him he had met someone else. That the long-distance relationship had been too much to handle. That he had met a guy at school. Blaine had been pleading, wanting to get on the first plane over there, quitting his job and moving back. Kurt had had silent tears running down his face as he firmly told him that it wouldn't matter.

And then here they were. Five years later. Two broken hearts. Two lonely men.

_I don't know what my future holds or who I'll choose to love me,  
><em>_but I can tell you where I'm from and who loved me to life..._

Blaine's voice faded away. His fingers stilled on the ivory. His eyes stared out into empty space. He was lost in memories.

It was clear to everyone there, but to no one more than to Kurt. He had moved closer to the stage during the song, bewitched by the lyrics and the voice. Blaine had loved him to life. He had loved Blaine to life. He was only a few feet away from him now; his first love. His only love. But he was still hidden in the shadows, holding his breath as he watched Blaine, scared to break the spell that had fallen over the room.

Then someone dropped a glass by the bar, and Blaine came back to them, shaking his head and moving his hands across the piano. His voice had changed though; now it was even more fragile and melancholic than before.

_And so it is a part of my courageous plan to leave,  
><em>_with a broken heart tucked away under my sleeve._

_I wanna go home for Christmas,  
><em>_let me go home this year.  
><em>_I wanna go home for Christmas,  
><em>_let me go home this year. _

_I wanna go home for Christmas,  
><em>_let me go home this year.  
><em>_I wanna go home this Christmas,  
><em>_I'm going home this year. _

The song ended, and it became quiet again, the audience clearly not sure if they should applaud after this obviously very emotional song. When Blaine, after a few seconds, asked if anyone had any song requests, someone yelled "Baby, it's cold outside".

Blaine's smile vanished. "I'm sorry, but I never sing that song anymore."

-.-

**_To be continued..._**

-.-


End file.
